Hospital marks Head Injury Day

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - World Head Injury Awareness Day is marked annually on 20 March.

According to Western Cape Health the awareness day takes into account the number of people who suffer from a mild bump on their head to severe brain injury.

To commemorate the day, Life Bay View Hospital personnel - doctors included - donned their hard hats and other paraphernalia to highlight the effect of brain injuries.

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"Concussion" means the brain has been injured mildly and will need time to recover. It is common to have mild headaches, dizziness, nausea, or slight sleepiness.

A concussion is an injury to the brain caused by sudden strong movement of the brain against the skull. This is caused by a collision with another person or object. A child does not need to be knocked out (lose consciousness) to have concussion. Most concussion injuries do not involve any loss of consciousness.

If your child has just had a head injury that has been assessed as not requiring hospital treatment it is important that you observe your child at home for the next 24 hours in case the condition gets worse, as occasionally slow bleeding or other problems can occur later.

If the child receives a bump or blow to the head or body and that causes a jarring of the head or neck, the child should stop playing immediately.

It is important to monitor the child for signs and symptoms of concussion.

Life Bay View Hospital reception staff with Dr Herman van Heerden, a neurosurgeon (third from right).